Device for dispensing beverage cans

ABSTRACT

The present device for dispensing beverage cans is mounted in a refrigerator whose front door is provided with a dispensing opening and comprises:
         a chute disposed in the interior of the refrigerator to lodge a plurality of beverage cans;   a dispensing porthole externally carrying a cradle and being inferiorly and horizontally articulated to the front door, to be displaced between a closed position, blocking the dispensing opening, and an open position, projecting inclinedly to the interior of the refrigerator; and   an extracting lever medianly and horizontally articulated internally to the refrigerator to be displaced, by the porthole, from a non-operative position to an operative position, in which it releases the first beverage can of the chute, gravitationally rolling said can over the dispensing porthole towards the cradle.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a device for dispensing beverage cans tobe applied, for example, to a stand-alone refrigerator or a combinationrefrigerator-freezer, for dispensing refrigerated beverage cans throughthe front door of the refrigerator.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

There are known from the prior art different devices for individuallydispensing cans of carbonated or not carbonated beverages through thefront door of a stand-alone refrigerator or a combinationrefrigerator-freezer, aiming at minimizing the opening operations of therefrigerator door by the user, in order to obtain refrigerated beveragecans. It is well known that the lesser the door is open the greater willbe the energetic efficiency of its operation under the same load andambient conditions.

A dispenser device of beverage cans of the type mentioned above isdescribed in patent application US 2005/015900A1 and comprises a canstorage chute, mounted inside the refrigerator and constructed to storea plurality of beverage cans, which are arranged side by side so as tobe released, usually by gravity, one by one, through a discharge end ofa storage chute. Said device further comprises a rotating drum whichpresents a portion for receiving a beverage can released from thestorage chute, and a closing portion capable to block the discharge endof the storage chute when the drum is rotated to a position forreleasing, to the user, the can previously lodged in the receivingportion of the drum.

While operating adequately, the previous solution cited above requires arelatively complex assembly to guarantee a controlled and smoothrotation of the drum and also an adequate sealing between its sidesurface and the adjacent walls of the refrigerator door, to prevent thecold air from escaping from the interior of the refrigerator to theexternal ambient.

Another dispenser device is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,485,937 andcomprises, besides the storage chute, an extracting lever, medianlyarticulated in a lower region of an opening provided in the refrigeratordoor and carrying, in an outer end, a can receiving cradle and, in anend inside the refrigerator, an extracting element. Upon the angularmovement of the extracting lever by the user, the extracting elementelevates the first can of the storage chute, releasing it from a fixedstop provided in the discharge end of the chute, allowing said can toroll over the lever, through the opening of the refrigerator door,towards the can receiving cradle, and be retrieved by the user. Theextracting element is constructed so as to retain the second can of thestorage chute in the original position, while the first can is displacedover the fixed stop, ceasing to operate only when the lever returns tothe rest position, allowing the second can of the storage chute to rollover the extracting element, coming to occupy the first position.

This second known solution presents a simple construction, less complexand costly than that previously discussed. However, this secondconstruction turns difficult the provision of efficient thermalinsulating means in the opening region of the refrigerator door, throughwhich is mounted the oscillating extracting lever. The difficulty inobtaining an adequate thermal insulation in this region of therefrigerator door compromises the thermal efficiency of saidrefrigerator or considerably increases the cost of the mountingarrangement as a whole.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

As a function of the inconveniences mentioned above and related to theknown solutions, it is an object of the present invention to provide adevice for dispensing beverage cans, to be applied to a refrigerator,for dispensing beverage cans through a dispensing opening in therefrigerator front door, said device presenting a simple and resistantconstruction, which guarantees an adequate degree of thermal insulationin the region of the dispensing opening provided in the front door.

According to the invention, the present device for dispensing beveragecans comprises: a chute disposed in the interior of the refrigerator andconfigured to receive and lodge a plurality of beverage cans disposedside by side, to be sequentially discharged through an outlet opening ofthe chute; a dispensing porthole externally carrying a cradle and beinginferiorly and horizontally articulated in the front door, internally tothe refrigerator, so as to be manually and angularly displaced between aclosed position, in which it blocks the dispensing opening, positioningthe cradle externally to said dispensing opening and manually accessibleto the user, and an open position, in which it projects inclinedlyupwardly and inwardly of the refrigerator, so as to block the dispensingopening with the cradle; and an extracting lever, which is medianly andhorizontally articulated internally to the refrigerator, so as to beangularly displaced, upon movement of the dispensing porthole to theopen position, from a non-operative position to an operative position,in which it displaces the first beverage can of the chute, releasing itthrough the outlet opening of said chute and gravitationally conductingsaid can to the cradle, rolling said can over the dispensing porthole.The extracting lever is usually constantly forced to the non-operativeposition.

The construction defined above is carried out by means of componentspresenting a relatively simple and resistant construction, allowing foran improved thermal insulation of the region of the refrigerator frontdoor, in which the dispensing opening is provided.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below, with reference to the encloseddrawings, given by way of example of an embodiment of the invention andin which:

FIG. 1 represents a front perspective view of a refrigerator providedwith the dispenser device object of the present invention;

FIG. 1 a represents a front perspective view of a refrigerator providedwith the present dispenser device and having its front door open toillustrate the positioning of the chute;

FIG. 2 represents a partial and simplified vertical sectional view of arefrigerator provided with the present dispenser device in anon-operative position;

FIG. 3 represents an enlarged detail of part of FIG. 2, illustrating thedispensing porthole being displaced to an open position and displacingthe extracting lever to an operative position;

FIG. 4 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 3, but illustrating thedispensing porthole in the open position and the extracting lever in theoperative position, releasing the first beverage can from the chute;

FIG. 5 represents a view similar to that of FIG. 4, but illustrating thefirst beverage can released from the chute and already gravitationallyrolled to the outer cradle of the dispensing porthole;

FIG. 6 represents a view similar to that of FIGS. 3-5, but illustratingthe dispensing porthole returned to the closed position, with its outercradle carrying a beverage can released from the chute, and with theextracting lever returned to the non-operative position;

FIG. 7 represents a front perspective view of the dispensing porthole;

FIG. 8 represents an exploded perspective view of the components of thedispensing porthole illustrated in FIG. 7;

FIG. 8 a represents a partial rear perspective view of the dispensingporthole, illustrating its articulation to the refrigerator front door;

FIG. 9 represents an exploded perspective view of the extracting leverand of the element to which it is articulated; and

FIG. 10 represents a partially sectioned front upper perspective view ofthe beverage can storage chute.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As illustrated and previously mentioned, the present dispenser device Dis applied to a refrigerator 10 of the stand-alone type or a combinationrefrigerator-freezer and whose front door 11 is provided with adispensing opening 12 in which a respective part of the presentdispenser device D is mounted, as it is simplifiedly illustrated in FIG.1 of the enclosed drawings.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 a and 2, the dispenser device D comprises achute 20 to be provided in the interior of the refrigerator 10 and whichis configured to receive and lodge a plurality of beverage cans 30disposed side by side, to be sequentially discharged by the useractuating the dispenser device D.

In the illustrated construction, the chute 20 is mounted in the interiorof the refrigerator 10 and comprises at least one support track 21disposed according to a direction transversal to the plane of the frontdoor 11 and having a front end 21 a, in which is defined an outletopening 22 of the chute 20, each support track 21 lodging a plurality ofbeverage cans 30. The chute 20 can be constructed in different mannersand in different materials, being affixed on a horizontal inner wall 13of the refrigerator 10 or against a lateral inner wall of the latter, aslong as its outlet opening 22 is turned to the dispensing opening 12provided in the front door 11 of the refrigerator 10.

As illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 10, the chute 20 can be constructed ininjected plastic material, formed in two halves to be afterwardsconnected and affixed one to the other so as to define two supporttracks 21 disposed one over the other and interconnected by one of theends, in a serpentine-shaped stack, the upper support track 21presenting an inlet end 21 b that is open and configured to permitfeeding the beverage cans 30 directly over said upper support track 21.The front end 21 a of the lowermost support track 21 of the chute 20, inwhich is defined an outlet opening 22, is provided with a lower stop 23against which is laterally seated and retained the first beverage can 30lodged in the chute 20. As best illustrated in FIG. 10, the front end 21a of the lower support track 21 of the chute 20 presents a median slot24 extending also along the lower stop 23, splitting it in two sideportions spaced from each other, said median slot 24 extending to theinterior of the support track 21 by a distance sufficient to permit thefirst beverage can 30, lodged in the chute 20, to be seated on thesupport track 21 on opposite sides of said median slot 24, asillustrated in FIG. 2. The function of the median slot 24 will bedescribed ahead.

In order that the beverage cans 30 can be automatically displaced in theinterior of the chute 20 and towards the outlet opening 22 of thelatter, as the cans are sequentially and progressively removed from theinterior of the refrigerator 10, the support tracks 21 of the chute 20are slightly inclined so that the beverage cans 30 are gravitationallyforced towards the lower stop 23 disposed close to the outlet opening 22of the chute 20. Hence, whenever there is the load of at least onebeverage can 30 in the interior of the chute 20, there will be onebeverage can 30 laterally seated against the lower stop 23,transversally to the median slot 24.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the chute 20 is preferably mounted in theinterior of the refrigerator 10, suspended under a horizontal inner wall13 of the refrigerator 10, which wall can be defined by the upper wallof the respective refrigerator cabinet. Said wall, which can also bedefined by one of the inner shelves or other inner dividing elements ofthe refrigerator, is usually provided with suspension means 14 which cantake the form of pins 14 a pending from said horizontal inner wall 13 ofthe refrigerator 10. The chute 20 presents an upper wall portion 25 inwhich are provided engaging means 26 to be coupled to respectivesuspension means 14 provided under the horizontal inner wall 13 of therefrigerator 10. In the illustrated constructive example, the engagingmeans 26 take the form of oblong orifices 26 a made in said upper wallportion 25 of the chute 20, being dimensioned to be removably fitted inrespective suspension means 14.

The dispenser device D further comprises a dispensing porthole 40 whichcarries, externally and usually in a single piece, a cradle 50 having acylindrical concave shape and dimensioned to receive and lodge abeverage can 30 released from the chute 20. The dispensing porthole 40is inferiorly and horizontally articulated to the front door 11, insidethe refrigerator 10, so that it can be manually and angularly displacedbetween a closed position, in which it blocks the dispensing opening 12,positioning the cradle 50 externally to the latter and manuallyaccessible to the user, and an open position, in which it projectsinclinably upwardly and inwardly of the refrigerator 10, so as to makethe dispensing opening 12 be blocked by the cradle 50.

The dispensing porthole 40 can present different constructions anddifferent contours. However, it should be understood that the dispensingporthole 40 must present a contour compatible with that of thedispensing opening 12 and also according to the need of releasing thebeverage cans 30 outwardly from the refrigerator 10, through the frontdoor 11 of the latter. Another aspect to be observed in the constructionof the dispensing porthole 40 concerns its capacity to guarantee anadequate thermal insulation between the interior and the exterior of therefrigerator 10.

In the construction illustrated in the enclosed drawings, the dispensingporthole 40 comprises, generally in injected plastic material, an outercasing 41 in the form of a trunk-pyramidal tray of rectangular contourand whose closed smaller base externally incorporates a front projectionconfigured to superiorly define the cradle 50 and inferiorly define apending flange 51 which defines an element to be manually held by theuser when he desires to move the dispensing porthole 40 to extract abeverage can 30 from the interior of the chute 20. The dispensingporthole 40 further comprises an inner casing 42 constructed to rearlyclose the outer casing 41 and defining a cam surface 43 whose functionwill be described ahead. A thermal insulating filler 44 is internallydisposed in between the two casings 41, 42 and a gasket 45, preferablyconstructed in elastomeric material, is mounted around the outer casing41, to be seated against a trunk-pyramidal seat 16 provided in the frontdoor 11 of the refrigerator 10, around the dispensing opening 12, whenthe dispensing porthole 40 is displaced to the closed condition.

In the illustrated construction, the outer casing 41 inferiorlyincorporates two pairs of ears 46 pending downwardly and provided withrespective holes 46 a axially aligned to each other. Each pair of ears46 journals a pin 47 around which is mounted a return spring 48, havingan end cooperating with the front door 11 and the other end cooperatingwith the dispensing porthole 40, between the respective pair of ears 46,to constantly force the dispensing porthole 40 to a closed position,guaranteeing the closing of the dispensing opening 12 when the userceases to manually operate the pending flange 51 of the dispensingporthole 40.

Each pin 47 projects outwardly from the respective pair of ears 46, tobe journaled in a hole 11 a designed in the front door 11 of therefrigerator 10, close to a respective side of the dispensing opening12, to define a lower horizontal articulation of the dispensing porthole40 in the front door 11 of the refrigerator 10, as illustrated in FIGS.8 and 8 a.

The present dispenser device D further comprises an extracting lever 60which is medianly and horizontally articulated to the front door 11,internally to the refrigerator 10, so as to be angularly displaced, uponthe displacement of the dispensing porthole 40 to an open position, froma non-operative position to an operative position, in which it displacesthe first beverage can 30 of the chute 20, releasing said can throughthe outlet opening 22 of the chute 20 and gravitationally conducting thecan to the cradle 50, rolling the can over the dispensing porthole 40.In the illustrated construction, the front door 11 of the refrigerator10 carries, in its inside, a protective cover 70 circumferencially andrearly surrounding the dispensing opening 12 and the dispensing porthole40, said protective cover 70 being provided with a rear window 71, inwhose lower region is medianly articulated the extracting lever 60.

In the illustrated construction, the extracting lever 60, preferablyformed in a single piece molded in plastic material, comprises: anextracting portion 61 defined on a side of a median articulation regionand disposed below the front end 21 a of the support track 21 of thechute 20, and dimensioned to angularly oscillate in a vertical planefrom a non-operative position below said chute 20 to an operativeposition displaced upwardly through the median slot 24 of the chute 20,elevating the first beverage can 30 from its position seated against thelower stop 23, so as to release said beverage can 30 from the stop, sothat said can may roll towards the dispensing opening 12 of the frontdoor 11 of the refrigerator 10.

The extracting lever 60 further comprises a conducting portion 62defining an extension of the extracting portion 61 and also a camfollower portion 63 projecting transversally, forward of the extractinglever 60 in its median articulation region, said cam follower portion 63being dimensioned and configured to be angularly displaced by the camsurface 43 of the dispensing porthole 40, when the latter is conductedto the open position, so as to displace, upwardly, the extractingportion 61 and, therewith, the first beverage can 30 of the chute 20and, downwardly, the conducting portion 62 of the extracting lever 60,making said first beverage can 30 gravitationally roll down over theextracting lever 60 and over the dispensing porthole 40, until seatingon the cradle 50, as illustrated in FIGS. 2-6.

FIG. 9 illustrates a perspective view of the protective cover 70 and ofits rear window 71 in which the extracting lever 60 is articulated. Theprovision of the protective cover 70 creates a region which ismaintained insulated from the inner ambient of the refrigerator whilethe extracting lever 60 remains in its non-operative position, thecommunication between the inner ambient of the refrigerator 10 and theouter ambient, through the dispensing opening 12, being allowed only inthe moment in which the extracting lever 60 is in its operative positionwith the dispensing porthole 40 in its open position, during the shortspace of time in which the first beverage can 30 of the chute 20 isrolling from the outlet opening 22 of the latter towards the cradle 50.Even so, the protective cover 70 creates an intermediary chamber,preventing great loss of thermal energy during the instants in which thedispensing porthole 40 and the extracting lever 60 are cooperating witheach other to allow a beverage can 30 to be released. The extractinglever 60 is preferably constructed so as to incorporate, on both sidesof its median articulation portion, two shaft portions 65 to bejournaled in a pair of side cradles 73 incorporated in the lower regionof the rear window 71 of the protective cover 70. Over the two shaftportions 65 are mounted small helical springs 74 having an endcooperating with the extracting lever 60 and the opposite endcooperating with the protective cover 70, so as to constantly force theextracting lever 60 to its non-operative position illustrated in FIGS. 2and 6.

While only one preferred embodiment for the present invention has beendescribed and illustrated herein, it should be understood thatalterations can be made in the form and arrangement of the elements,without departing from the constructive concept defined in the claimsthat accompany the present specification.

1. A device for dispensing beverage cans through a dispensing openingprovided in the front door of a refrigerator, comprising: a chutedisposed in the interior of the refrigerator and configured to receiveand lodge a plurality of beverage cans disposed side by side, to besequentially discharged through an outlet opening of the chute; adispensing porthole externally carrying a cradle and being inferiorlyand horizontally articulated in the front door, internally to therefrigerator, so as to be manually and angularly displaced between aclosed position, in which it blocks the dispensing opening, positioningthe cradle externally to said dispensing opening and manually accessibleto the user, and an open position, in which it projects inclinedlyupwards and inwards of the refrigerator, so as to block the dispensingopening with the cradle; and an extracting lever that is medianly andhorizontally articulated internally to the refrigerator, so as to beangularly displaced, upon the displacement of the dispensing porthole toan open position, from a non-operative position to an operativeposition, in which it displaces the first beverage can of the chute,releasing it through an outlet opening of said chute and gravitationallyconducting it to the cradle, rolling said beverage can over thedispensing porthole.
 2. Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 1,wherein the chute is mounted in the interior of the refrigerator andcomprises at least one support track disposed according to a directiontransversal to the plane of the front door and having a front end inwhich is defined an outlet opening of the chute, said support trackhousing a plurality of beverage cans.
 3. Dispenser device, as set forthin claim 2, wherein the chute comprises at least two support tracksdisposed one over the other and interconnected by one of the ends, in aserpentine-shaped stack, the upper support track presenting an openinlet end, for feeding the beverage cans.
 4. Dispenser device, as setforth in claim 2, wherein the front end of the support track, in whichis defined an outlet opening of the chute, is provided with a lower stopagainst which is laterally seated and retained the first beverage canlodged in the chute.
 5. Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 4,wherein the beverage cans are gravitationally forced towards the lowerstop, close to the outlet opening of the chute, by inclination of therespective support track.
 6. Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 2,wherein the chute is superiorly provided with engaging device to becoupled with the respective suspension means provided under a horizontalinner wall of the refrigerator.
 7. Dispenser device, as set forth inclaim 6, wherein the engaging means take the form of oblong orificesmade in an upper wall portion of the chute and dimensioned to beremovably fitted in suspension device in the form of pins pending from ahorizontal inner wall of the refrigerator.
 8. Dispenser device, as setforth in claim 1, wherein the dispensing porthole is constantly forcedto a closed position by a return spring operatively associated with thefront door and with the dispensing porthole.
 9. Dispenser device, as setforth in claim 8, wherein the dispensing porthole comprises: an outercasing in the form of a trunk-pyramidal tray of rectangular contour,whose closed smaller base incorporates, externally, a front projectionconfigured to superiorly define the cradle of cylindrical concave shapeand, inferiorly, a pending flange to be manually held by the user; aninner casing rearly closing the outer casing and defining a cam surface;a thermal insulating filler disposed in between the two casings; and agasket mounted around the outer casing, to be seated against atrunk-pyramidal seat provided in the front door, around the dispensingopening, when the dispensing porthole is displaced to a closed position.10. Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 9, wherein the outer casinginferiorly incorporates two pairs of ears provided with respectiveaxially aligned holes, each pair of ears journaling a pin around whichis mounted a return spring having an end cooperating with the front doorand the other end cooperating with the dispensing porthole, each pinprojecting outwards from the respective pair of ears, to be journaled ina hole made in the front door, close to one of the sides of thedispensing opening, so as to define a lower horizontal articulation ofthe dispensing porthole in the front door of the refrigerator. 11.Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 1, wherein the front doorcarries, in its inner side, a protective cover circumferencially andrearly surrounding the dispensing opening and the dispensing portholeand being provided with a rear window in whose lower region is medianlyarticulated the extracting lever.
 12. Dispenser device, as set forth inclaim 11, wherein the extracting lever comprises: an extracting portion;a conducting portion defining an extension of the extracting portion;and a cam follower portion projecting transversally forward of theextracting lever, in its median articulation region, said cam followerportion being displaced by the dispensing porthole, when the latter isconducted to the open position, so as to displace, upwardly, theextracting portion and therewith, the first beverage can of the chuteand, downwardly, the conducting portion of the extracting lever, makingsaid first beverage can gravitationally roll over the extracting leverand over the dispensing porthole, until seating on the cradle. 13.Dispenser device, as set forth in claim 12, wherein the chute comprisesat least one support track lodging a plurality of beverage cans andhaving a front end in which is defined an outlet opening of the chute,and provided a lower stop, against which is laterally seated andretained the first beverage can lodged in the chute, the upwarddisplacement of the extracting portion (60) upwardly displacing saidfirst beverage can, releasing the can from the lower stop and allowingit to gravitationally roll over the extracting lever and over thedispensing porthole, until reaching the cradle.
 14. Dispenser device, asset forth in claim 12, wherein the extracting lever incorporates, onboth sides of its median articulation portion, two shaft portions to bejournaled in a pair of side cradles incorporated in the lower region ofthe rear window of the protective cover, each shaft portion carrying ahelical spring cooperating with the protective cover and the extractinglever, so as to constantly force the latter to a non-operative position.